Studies Confirm that Chiropractic is Safe

We care for a large number of patients in our Lincoln office, and Dr. Jerrad Swanson DC, FMT, DN1 has helped countless people manage a range of health problems. However, a frequent issue that seems to prevent some folks from seeking care is whether or not chiropractic adjustments are safe. Well, according to three different studies (out of countless on the subject), the answer to this concern is a clear: "Yes! Chiropractic is safe!"

Chiropractic is Safe, According to Australian Study

The first research paper(1) was published in Spine and included 183 men and women between the ages of 20 and 85. Each participant was suffering from spinal pain, and half of the patients received real chiropractic care whereas the other half were given two fake chiropractic treatment sessions. Information was gathered after each real or fake adjustment to see whether or not any unpleasant reactions occurred as a result of the genuine chiropractic adjustments.

The authors found that none of the patients documented any serious negative adverse reactions in any way after receiving one or two sessions of chiropractic care. Some people did state that they experienced a headache (9% of patients) or muscle stiffness (37%) post-treatment, but the results were not serious.

Nationwide Survey Reports that Chiropractic Adjustments are Safe

A second research study(2), also released in the prestigious journal, Spine, was done in an attempt to ascertain the safety of chiropractic care. The study group was much larger -- 20,000 people. Each participant received chiropractic adjustments of the neck, with over 50,000 total adjustments for all patients.

Again, the researchers found no serious negative side effects. The authors computed the risk of total negative effects to be approximately 6 out of every 10,000 consultations or every 100,000 treatment sessions. And, just as with the first study, some volunteers did report non-serious, milder, side effects such as dizziness (16 out of every 1,000 treatment consultations and 15 out of every 1,000 treatment sessions) or a headache (4 out of every 100), and this prompted the researchers to conclude that "the risk of a serious adverse event, immediately or up to 7 days after treatment, was low to very low."

Chiropractic Adjustments are Safe for Kids

The third research paper(3) is different from the previous two reports, as it focuses on the safety of chiropractic care for kids. In this case, researchers investigated results reported by both chiropractors and parents involving 816 children who participated in 7,173 chiropractic treatment sessions.

Out of 5,438 chiropractic visits made for the young children, chiropractors answering the survey reported only three cases where there were negative side effects. When parents were questioned, they indicated only two adverse side effects out of 1,735 visits. Additionally, both chiropractors and parents reported "a high rate of improvement with respect to the children's presenting complaints."

Based on these three studies (and many more!), chiropractic care has been judged safe and effective for everyone. To learn what chiropractic can do for you, call our Lincoln clinic and schedule an appointment today at (402) 484-5177.

References

1. Walker BF, Hebert JJ, Stomski NJ, Clarke BR, Bowden RS, Losco B, French SD. Outcomes of usual chiropractic. The OUCH randomized controlled trial of adverse events. Spine 2013;38(20):1723-9.
2. Thiel HW1, Bolton JE, Docherty S, Portlock JC. Safety of chiropractic manipulation of the cervical spine: a prospective national survey. Spine 2007;32(21):2375-8.
3. Alcantara J, Ohm J, Kunz D. The safety and effectiveness of pediatric chiropractic: a survey of chiropractors and parents in a practice-based research network. Explore NY 2009;5(5): 290-5.